Nightmares
by somegirlwrites
Summary: It might just run in the family.


**A/N:** _For anyone who's keeping up with New seeds at the moment, this takes place a while before it. Might get confusing as you read._

•-

Seymour woke up with a start, chest heaving and head pounding, his hands balling into fists and gripping the sheets. He hasn't had one like this in years. This, combined with the sudden shift of weight beside her, awoke Audrey.

She mumbled and shuffled into stir, as she swept a bit of platinum hair out of her eyes. It was too short for setting in curlers, she really needed to grow it out. Longer hair was much more in now.

As her eyes opened and she became more aware, she finally heard the heavy breathing beside her. "Seymour?" She mumbled, then, "Seymour!" Audrey pushed herself into a sitting position and reached out to touch his shoulder. He turned his head to desperately look at her, eyes shining with a ghost of tears. His wife cooed.

"Oh, you've been doin' so well lately." The hand that wasn't on his shoulder sifted through his messy curls.

"I-I know.." he responded weakly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I'm proud of you, I always will be," she moved closer to him and continued. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Y-You were in it."

"It's always me." An ironic smile spread over her lips.

Seymour continued. "The— I... it wasn't Two this time. Not entirely." Ever since their escape from Skid Row, they decided without words that "Audrey II" would be reduced to "Two" if ever discussed— for Audrey's comfort. "First it was just you. We were together, and we were happy, it.. I think it was our wedding. That's right. Our wedding. 'Cept we had a real fancy wedding...with white flowers and guests... and you.. Mushnik walked you down the aisle.."

Audrey frowned. "Oh... oh, Seymour..."

"— And it was sweet, 'til he came up there and.. 'stead of tellin' me to take care of ya, he shook my hand and said.. somethin' like... 'If you're not careful, she's next' then smiled and.. and just left. And then next thing I knew you were lying in my arms in that same white dress... all torn up and ruined.. and you—"

Audrey pressed her cheek to his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his. "It's okay now, Sweetheart. You've been doin' so well with your nightmares, this is the first one in a while."

"I feel guilty, Audrey."

"For k... uh... gettin' rid'a them?"

"Not _them_ ," he corrected. The more he thought about it, the less he felt bad about the demise of Audrey's ex boyfriend. "Him. Just Mushnik. I... It wasn't even on purpose. He just _walked_ into the plant."

"Like I did?"

"You were different...I wasn't there. But I watched Mushnik back into the plant. I watched him and I didn't stop it. Audrey, I—" he choked on his words.

"Oh, Honey, be less hard on yourself. He was threatenin' ya, and you were nervous." When Seymour's hardened expression didn't change, Audrey tugged him to lay down and curled up into his side. He turned over to face her and draped his arm over her waist, burying his nose into the warm space between her neck and shoulder.

"I don't think I'll ever understand why you love me," he mumbled indignantly.

"I don't think I'll ever understand why you don't believe me when I say I could neva' _not_ love you. Have I eva' lied to you before?"

"No..."

"And I neva' will. You know that." Instead of responding, Seymour lifted his head just enough to press a light kiss to her neck. She giggled and ran her hands over his shoulders.

"Don't you start, Seymour—"

The door made a creaking noise, followed by a soft call into the darkness. "Momma?"

Seymour untangled himself from her and rolled to the other side of the bed. Audrey sat up. "Yes, Baby?"

"I.. I had a bad dream."

"Come lay with us, Sweetie."

Lucy was four. In fact, she had just turned four a month ago. She made her way over to Audrey's side of the bed, climbing up with the assistance of her mother. Audrey removed her daughter's tiny glasses and set them next to Seymour's on the nightstand.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I don' 'member it much," she sniffled. "But it was real sad. I don't think I can go back to sleep."

"Oh," Audrey ran her palm across her daughter's little cheek. "Of course ya can. Just think of happy things, or... think of all the great things you'll accomplish in the mornin'!" She tickled Lucy's stomach, which made her squirm and squeal with delight. Audrey continued. "Then, you'll wanna go to sleep, because you'll get to tomorrah faster."

"Promise?"

"Have I eva' lied to you before?"

"No.." Lucy giggled, engendering a smile on her Mom's face.

"There it is. Here, you sleep with me and Daddy tonight, then you'll feel safe," she set Lucy down in between her and Seymour, then laid back down.

Seymour didn't mean to ignore his daughter and fake being asleep, but Audrey seemed to have her under control and in a much better emotional state than he. He almost would have stayed restless for the rest of the night— _almost—_ if it weren't for the tiny warmth he felt curl against his side, and the tiny hand that latched onto his.

He squeezed it back. Everything was okay.

They were safe now.


End file.
